Always consult with your dietician before you make changes to your diet, below is a guideline and should never replace a consultation with a dietician or stoma nurse.
Recommended foods for the post-operative ileostomy patient, when to add other foods and high-fiber foods to your diet.
t’s best to eat mostly bland, low-fiber foods for the first few weeks after your surgery. Bland foods are cooked, easy-to-digest foods that aren’t spicy, heavy, or fried.
Eating bland foods will help you avoid uncomfortable symptoms, such as:
- Diarrhea (loose or watery bowel movements)
- Bloating
- Gas
- Swelling or tenderness at your ileostomy site
The following tables include examples of bland, low-fiber foods:
* If you have diarrhea after having these products, try non-dairy milks, lactose-free cheese, or lactose-free yogurt instead.
** When trying eggs, start with a small amount (such as 1 egg). Eggs may cause a bad odor (smell) when you open your pouch.
* When trying fish and nut butter, start with small amounts. These foods may cause a bad odor when you open your pouch.
Some vegetables may cause gas or a bad odor for some people. If a certain vegetable causes you to have gas or a bad odor, don’t eat it.
For the first 3 to 4 weeks after your surgery, don’t eat more than 1 small ripe banana per day. Eating too much banana may cause an ileostomy blockage.
Reading Nutrition Facts labels
You can find the amount of fiber in your food by looking at the Nutrition Facts label (see Figure 1). Nutrition Facts labels can help you compare the nutritional information between different foods.
Figure 1. Fiber information on a Nutrition Facts label
Adding foods to your diet
After your surgery, you may have some food intolerances that you didn’t have before surgery. Food intolerance is when eating a certain type of food causes uncomfortable symptoms, such as diarrhea, bloating, gas, or bad odor. Sometimes, food intolerances go away as your colon heals.
When you add foods back into your diet, introduce them 1 at a time. If a certain food causes uncomfortable symptoms, don’t eat it for a few weeks. Then try it again. No two people will react the same way to food. You’ll learn through experience which foods, if any, you shouldn’t eat.
High-fiber foods
Your first follow-up appointment will be about 2 weeks after your surgery. At this appointment, your doctor will tell you if you can start adding high-fiber foods back into your diet. Doing this will help make your bowel movements bulkier (more solid).
When you start adding high-fiber foods back into your diet, do it slowly. Only add 1 food at a time. Make sure you’re also drinking enough liquids. Aim to drink 8 to 10 glasses (about 2 liters) of liquids every day.